Seat belt invented by volvo Volvo soon realised the importance of ensuring that all the car's occupants were held securely in their seats, and work on equipping the rear seat with belts was conducted in parallel with other safety-related developments. Volvo was also the first carmaker in the world to equip its cars with front seat three-point safety Feb 27, 2024 · More importantly, Swedish engineer Nils Bohlin introduced the three-point seatbelt with Volvo in 1958, following the two-point lap belts. The shoulder belts installed in American cars at that time were separate straps from the lap belts, so you had two fasten two different belts. Edward J. His innovative cross-strap design was both safer and easier to use. A viral Facebook post claimed that when “Volvo invented the three-point seat belt in 1959, they made the patent free for all competitors to use in order to save lives. Second, airbags are designed to work with seat belts, not separate from them. 1959 Three -point safety belt in the front, a Volvo innovation 1967 Safety belts fitted as standard, rear 1969 Three -point inertia-reel safety belts, front 1971 Safety belt reminders, front 1972 Three -point safety belts, rear 1986 Three -point safety belts, rear middle seat 1987 Mechanical belt pre-tensioner Apr 27, 2021 · MHF has also given some thought and in the 50s it sells retrofit kits for all types of cars that it developed itself. Feb 13, 2023 · Despite the obvious benefits of seat belts, it took several years for them to become widely used. On Thursday August 13, 1959, the world's first car with standard-fit three-point safety belts - a Volvo PV544 - was delivered to the Volvo dealer in the Swedish town of Kristianstad. Aug 13, 2019 · Nils Bohlin is the little-known Volvo engineer who invented the V-type three-point safety belt in 1959, and saw his innovation through to universal adoption across the motor industry. Yet, the use of seat belts didn’t become mandatory until each state in the U. Compulsory belt usage is probably the most successful measure by the authorities for saving lives on the road. Up until this point, seat belts in cars were two-point lap belts, which strapped across the body, with the buckle placed over the abdomen. Throughout the years, this one safety feature has saved an estimated 123,000 lives, quite impressive for a few pounds of nylon and steel. Feb 8, 2024 · Volvo. S. Not seat belt it self. 1885: The first car seat belt was patented by Edward J. On July 10, 1962, the USPTO issued US Patent No. A turning point for the three-point seat belt came in 1967, thanks to Bohlin, who published a report based on years of crash statistics involving Volvo’s three-point seat belt, and found that the belt prevented fatal injuries among passengers in vehicles involved in crashes below 60 miles per Sep 7, 2021 · Unfortunately, seat belts weren't widely popular until the mid-1930s, when seat belts were tested for safety. In 1956, Gunnar Engellau took over the post at Volvo. Jul 10, 2017 · 55 years ago today, Volvo received a patent that saved countless lives More than half a century ago, Volvo came up with a safety innovation so excellent that it eventually landed in every single Jun 29, 2021 · The solution and the benefits of the three-point design soon spread throughout the world since Volvo immediately made Bohlin’s patent available to all car makers. 12 August 2009. Nils Bohlin’s lap-and-shoulder belt was introduced by Volvo in 1959. 1959 – The Three‐Point Seat Belt Is Invented The most important evolutionary step in seat belt history timeline occurred in 1959 when Swedish engineer Nils Bohlin invented the three‐point seat belt. Since Bohlin developed its belt in Gothenburg, other important inventions such as the Airbag (1,1 MB), the crush-collapsible zone, the belt tensioner and the belt force limiter have significantly improved road safety. Aug 12, 2009 · Volvo's three-point safety belt turns 50. Who invented the three point seat belt? Swedish inventor, Nils Bohlin invented the three-point seat belt – not the first but the modern seat belt – now a standard safety device in most cars. [ 1 ] Few people have saved as many lives as Nils Bohlin - the Volvo engineer who in 1959 invented the V-type three-point safety belt. It was initially met with some skepticism by wary consumers, but Volvo Cars continued to push ahead. Bohlin‘s V-type design secured both the upper body and the lap, providing far superior protection compared to earlier lap belts. Race car drivers were the only ones who used them. Aug 11, 2009 · Thursday 13 August marks the 50th anniversary of the life-saving V-shaped three-point seat belt, invented by Volvo Engineer Nils Bohlin in 1959, and Volvo's visionary open patent which granted May 27, 2019 · 60 years ago, Volvo introduced the three-point seat belt we are familiar with today. Volvo has given a great gift to the world by developing an advanced seat belt which holds the potential to save millions of lives. For Volvo, Safety is a core value and the protection of occupants is of utmost importance. In 1959, the Mar 18, 2022 · Volvo’s work, however, did not go unnoticed. Claghorn in 1885 to protect passengers in horse-drawn cabs. In 1958, Nils Bohlin , who worked as an engineer at the Volvo factory in Sweden, created the system known as the three-point seat belt and later this system was patented. May 11, 2019 · Alan Dessel, Volvo’s managing director said: “The decision to release the three-point seat belt patent was visionary and in line with Volvo’s guiding principle of safety. Jul 7, 2022 · However, the first patented seat belt was created by American Edward J. Volvo was so confident about the importance of the three-point design it made the patent available to all other car manufacturers in a benevolent act of magnanimity. Seat belts became mandatory in the US in 1965, Shoulder belts became mandatory for front seat passengers in 1968, except for in vans, trucks, and convertibles. At first, the company put the belts in cars designated only for its home market, but by 1963, all Volvos came equipped with front seat belts, and the company decided to make the design free for use by all car makers. This safety protocol is like social distancing , washing hands and wearing face masks , fastening seat belts or wearing helmets, could save many lives. Over the next 50 years, the V-shaped three-point safety belt saved well over one million lives. Within the EU alone, 7000 lives would be saved every year if more people chose to use a seat belt. Cayley, a renowned aviator, engineer, and inventor, developed seat belts to keep pilots safe while flying. Dec 11, 2019 · In 1979, seatbelts also became standard in Volvo trucks. Nash was the first American car manufacturer to offer seat belts as an option in 1949, but buyers didn’t want them, and dealers often removed them. Kevlar, a material that can resist bullets, was an unexpected discovery by American chemist Stephanie Kwolek. The three-point seatbelt was first introduced by Volvo in 1959 Mar 6, 2025 · From the introduction of seat belts to the adoption of impact protection systems, here are a few safety features invented by Volvo that we now take for granted in most cars. Three-point safety Dec 3, 2024 · This changed in 1959, when Swedish engineer Nils Bohlin invented the modern three-point seat belt for Volvo. While Bohlin is the one who made the seatbelt safer, Volvo is the one that gets the credit. It has also prevented or reduced the severity of injuries among many millions of other road users. Jul 25, 2024 · 1959 – The Three-Point Seat Belt Is Invented. Nils Bohlin, an engineer at Volvo, invented the three-point seat belt in 1959. Segment Midsize Luxury SUV Love them or hate them, seat belts are an indispensable and essential safety feature in modern vehicles. A lap belt. Claghorn patented a seat belt for New York taxis in 1885. The most important evolutionary step in seat belt history timeline occurred in 1959 when Swedish engineer Nils Bohlin invented the three-point seat belt. The three point design was created to help secure both the upper and lower body. Over time, the seat belt slowly starting showing up in manufacture cars to help passengers and drivers stay put inside their car seats. The belt in the rear seat. Jan 29, 2025 · The modern seatbelt, anyway. Subsequently, Volvo gifted it to the world by letting other car manufacturers use this seat belt without patent fees. many lives of car occupants as the seat belt. To this very day, the safety belt provides the most effective protection in the event of an accident. patent for automobile seat belts was issued to Edward J. Sep 14, 2016 · Volvo hired Bohlin in 1958 and he designed the seat belts we know today through a three point seat belt that better protects the driver and passenger in an accident. However, what truly makes this story remarkable is Volvo's decision to make the patent freely available, prioritizing public safety over profit. Volvo’s seatbelt design is credited with saving over 1 million lives. So, it may be kind of shocking to learn that seat belts and cars did not always go hand-in-hand. Having said that, legislation, fines, campaigns and inspections are the main factors that increase safety belt usage. ” Since 1959, when the three-point seat belt was invented, the system saved millions of lives across not just the United States, but the world. 0 Dec 21, 2021 · He worked as a design engineer at Volvo from 1949 to 1965 on various projects, including a hovercraft vehicle. Using a seat belt can mean the difference between life and death. Volvo built their reputation on selling safer cars, but they gave away the most important safety device ever invented: the three-point seat belt. This seat was designed to minimize the risk of injury; it was based on the similar technology employed by NASA that had been used to allow astronauts to spread out the force on their bodies. However, these new restraint systems complement the three point seat belt - they do not replace it. The National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966 made seat belts a required We invented the world’s first belt-positioning booster allowing children from 4 years of age to travel facing forward, with increased protection and comfort. In 1984 New York The same brand added a two-point cross-seat belt locking system the following year, making the seat belt system even more secure. To get a better understanding of what seat belts are, we need to go back in time. Sometimes in the course of preventing fatalities, they can cause minor injuries. In the late 1950s, Nils Bohlin, a Swedish engineer working for Volvo, recognized the limitations of lap belts and set out to create a more effective seatbelt system. Found in almost every modern car, the conventional "three point" seat belt (where the chest as well as the lap is restrained by an additional strap) was invented by Volvo 50 years ago, the company Jan 8, 2025 · It took another ten years before seat belt reminders became mandatory in all new EU vehicles from 2014. Sep 7, 2020 · WITHOUT ANY DOUBT, Scandinavian nameplate Volvo Cars has long been recognized as one of the global leaders in automotive safety. 2-point seat bets were already in use, but not mandatory except on front seats in some places. 1990 World’s first integrated booster cushion Sep 16, 2024 · The man who invented the three-point seat belt. Things are changing in Gothenburg too. The automaker released its patent to other automakers in the name of safety and it remains one of the most important safety features in today’s cars, credited with saving more than a million lives. Legislation mandating the installation of seatbelts began to appear in Jun 27, 2019 · The first vehicle fitted with the new three-point seat belt was a Volvo PV 544 delivered to a dealer in Kristianstad, Sweden on August 13th 1959. Volvo was the first automobile manufacturer to offer the modern seat belt as a permanent addition to its cars. phshn ljvwu sxnd rlr qpb fmgy seny orhfubr nrviu mie qlmeld txlrpc hhjrel xczeap bphja